Freedom
by XxSnowyDreamsxX
Summary: A small black she-cat named Pepper has only ever known a cold, horrible world of pain and hunger. But when tragedy after tragedy occurs, Pepper learns that she has to find the clans her mother has told her about. But can she do it alone, or will she need help from an unlikely friend?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Snow sat up tall, washing dried blood from her pure white fur. She gazed around her ally, looking for her next appointment. Snow's mate, Leopard, came stalking through the shadows, turning a corner until he was in his mate's ally. She was the leader of the rouges, the cat everyone was terrified of. Leopard snarled and a small tom came from behind him, quivering with fear. Snow liked that.

She nodded to Leopard and he left, leaving Snow with the tom. "So… do you have my rent?" asked Snow, licking her lips delicately. The black tom looked down at his paws. "No. I'm sorry miss, but there isn't enough prey to feed me and you!" rambled the tom. Snow looked the tom in his eye. "So, just feed me then." She sighed simply. "But I have a family to feed!" growled the tom. "Did you just snarl at me? How dare you!" screamed Snow, losing her temper.

Snow calmed down, sharpening her long claws on her throne, a broken wall. The tom relaxed slightly, until he saw her claws. "Right, so here's our deal, you will give me double your usual pay, three rodents, and I will drop the charges, for now." Smiled Snow. "Well you see, I don't understand why I have to pay for you to live in your street. We are supposed to find our own homes, and prey, so why do we have to give _you _rent?" spat the tom, standing tall for the first time in moons. He felt protective of his mate and kits, giving him strength.

Snow looked down at him, then climbed of her throne. The tom shrank back, knowing that this was a bad sign. Snow whistled and Leopard came running, followed by four tortoiseshell toms. They were all muscular and handsome, with terrifying teeth and claws. "So, Dusk was it? Yes Dusk, you have broken the rules of my street. I am afraid that calls for… unfortunate punishments."

The tortoiseshells walked away, menacingly licking the blood from in between their claws. Leopard laughed as he saw the limp black tom laying in a pool of his own blood. "Pathetic tom, didn't even put up a fight." Scoffed Leopard. Snow laughed. She licked some blood from Leopard's ear. "You're so beautiful." Murmured Leopard. Snow smiled again. She knew alright.

"Will you let Dusk's family stay here?" asked Leopard. "Kill the mother. We could use the kits. They will be trained to hunt for me." Decided Snow. "Where are they staying?" asked Leopard. "In a hollow tree, next to this ally actually." Informed Snow. Leopard gave his nose a quick lick. "We will go soon. But first the kits must be old enough to train. Patience dear Leopard." Purred Snow. Leopard snorted. "Of course my queen." And he backed away, carrying Dusk's body in his jaws. "Dinner." He smirked, his voice muffled slightly.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Three kits curled up in their mother's nest, thankful for her warmth. "When will daddy come back?" asked the youngest she-kit. "I'm not sure Pepper." Purred the mother, trying not to let her kits she her worry. The mother looked down at her small kits, smiling to herself. Pepper looked just like her father, black with warm green eyes. Her other daughter, Nettle, was a greyish silver, just like her mother, with light green eyes. Her only son was handsome with silver dappled fur and unusually blue eyes, named Jay.

The kits only slept for a few hours before asking their mother for a story. "Tell us about the clan mother." Begged Nettle. "Actually, there were four clans. They lived by the lakes and were peaceful and strong. But once, a terrible cat named Scourge attacked the clans. He lost, but a few moons later his daughter Snow attacked and won. The clans lost many warriors and some of us were driven away from our clan." Sighed their mother, a sad look in her blue eyes. Pepper, Nettle and Jay curled up to their mother, trying to comfort her. Their mother purred and fell asleep with them.

"Mother, can we go play outside?" asked Pepper, desperate to feel the grass under her small paws. Her mother was depressed when her mate didn't return. She gave a nod, and the three littermates charged outside. They chased after a moss ball and a red leaf that had strayed from a nearby tree. Outside their hollow tree, a small patch of dying grass gave them a patch to play on. Suddenly, the four tortoiseshell toms that have always frightened everyone appeared, walking right into Pepper.

"Hey!" she hissed angrily. Nettle put her tail over her sister's mouth. "Temper!" smiled a white cat from behind the toms. Nettle took a step back, as did Jay. "Hello dears! My have you grown!" She laughed. Pepper thought she might be nice. "Come with me and have breakfast, my boys want to…talk with your mother." The cat smiled her sweet smile again. "No! Pepper, don't!" warned Jay in her ear.

Pepper ignored him and followed behind the nice cat, dragging Jay and Nettle behind her. "How old are you?" asked the cat as they walked to her ally. "We are all six moons!" boasted Nettle, forgetting her earlier nerves. "Perfect." Muttered the cat. Suddenly, they heard a horrible scream. "Was that mother?" whimpered Nettle. They were about to go back when the toms turned up, grabbing the kits in their jaws. "Let us go!" spat Jay. "Your mine now! Forget your mother, she is dead now." Smirked the cat. Pepper looked at her littermates in despair. "This is all my fault!" she wailed. "Shh…" Nettle warned, but shot her a sympathy glance. They walked to the end of the ally and jumped up onto the throne. They climbed over the wall behind and found an enclosed area, almost like a mini ally. It had some dried moss in one corner and a rotten mouse in the other. The littermates were thrown roughly into their prison. "You will be trained as warriors, well, Jay will be. The girls will be a mate to one of our strong warriors. You will provide this group with many kits, or you all die." Snorted the white cat. "Why us?" croaked Nettle. "Because dear, I don't like cats accusing me of unfair ruling." The kits were left in the lonely blackness, wondering what she meant.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Wake up you pieces of fox dung!" This was the awakening Pepper and her littermates received every morning. They were all now ten moons, and Jay was moving out of their prison. He became a very strong warrior and was allowed to move in with the other warriors. Well, Snow called them warriors. Basically, warriors are Snow's guards, to protect her from the cats who fight against her. "Stop daydreaming Pepper!" hissed Nettle. She was different now, her once grey fur was a tangle of dirty knots, and she seemed darker and grumpier too.

Suddenly, a dark ginger tom jumped over the wall that kept us in our prison. He was muscular and strong, with beautiful blue eyes. He nuzzled Nettle and Pepper saw her flinch. "Come along, you need to feed your kits too." He purred. Pepper stared at Nettle. "You're pregnant! But… you are too young Nettle, you will hurt yourself." She cried, scared for her sister. Nettle suddenly slashed her sister's nose. Pepper jumped back, startled. "It's your fault we are always abused, tortured and now this? Stay away from me!" She screamed. The tom backed away awkwardly and led Pepper's pregnant sister away over the wall.

"Hello Pepper." Smiled Snow as she crossed over the wall. Pepper wanted to attack the cat, but as she was the one who got abused most, her claws had been removed. Snow slammed her into the stone wall. "I said, hello! Can you hear me?" mocked Snow, swishing her tail behind her. "Yes miss." Muttered Pepper. She would have cried in agony, but she is in so much pain every day that it didn't even make her blink. "Good. So, as you're so weak and small you cannot have kits like your sister, or fight like your brother, so you are pretty useless right?" laughed Snow. Pepper smiled weakly, terrified that she may have her mother's fate. "Please miss… I could have kits one day, I just don't get fed enough." Gulped Pepper. Before she knew what was happening, she saw blood trickle from her ear. As it hit her mouth she felt warmth, making her shiver slightly. "Maybe… your kits could become slaves like you, and we would kill the she-kits and keep the toms for warriors!" exclaimed Snow. Pepper whimpered when she was thrown to the ground, blood from her ear forming a pool around her.

"Hello." A soft voice meowed from behind Pepper. She looked up and saw a large white tom. He looked kind, with calm green eyes. "My name is King. I guess I am a prisoner as well." He murmured. "I'm Pepper. Shouldn't toms be warriors, not prisoners?" asked Pepper, her head tilted in curiosity. King smiled. "I was called Whiteheart and the medicine cat of ShadowClan. I was taken here and refused to fight, so they said I could stay here instead. They changed my name and, well, here I am." He growled. Pepper nodded. "I was born here. What's it like to be in a clan?" asked Pepper. She was full of questions, but that seemed like a good one to start with. King answered in detail, explaining the smell of grass and the forests. "Your sister was with me at one point, Snow said she was going to stay with Squirrel now that she is useful." King said, his eyes full of sympathy. "Do you have any other family here?" asked King as he lay down in Nettle's old nest. "Yes, my father and mother died here a while ago, and my brother Jay was taken to be a warrior. My sister was here, but now she is staying with Squirrel, but you knew that." Pepper smiled sadly. She curled up in her nest and sighed. King got up and licked the blood from her ear and side of her face. "You have me now." He whispered.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The day was cold and gloomy, dark clouds hung low in the sky. Pepper would have felt lonely, but she had King. He was very protective and kind, giving her the biggest share of the prey they get once a day. It was only a small shrew, but King didn't seem to mind, he would always just say he wasn't hungry. Pepper managed to crawl out of her nest, shaking her paw as she stood on a puddle. "Our prison flooded a bit, we will freeze if we don't get out!" grumbled King, unusually grumpy. "Well, we have no chance to escape. You could I suppose, but I can't." Snapped Pepper. She suddenly apologized, realizing what she said had been mean. "Why not?" asked King, his head slightly tilted.

"A few moons before you came here, I was badly abused. My claws were torn out and my back-legs were broken. They never healed properly and now… I can't walk properly, let alone run." Pepper explained. She got up, and took a bite from the prey. King stared at her legs, as if noticing for a first time she had a limp. "Well, I could carry you! Yes, and we can go and be loners, no longer trapped." Meowed King, licking Pepper on her ear. She smiled. "That would be great, but would becoming loners be better than here? We are given shelter and food, however bad it may be. I can't hunt, and I doubt you ever had time to learn. We would die." Sighed Pepper, upset she had to put an end to the dream. Everything grey silent, a slight breeze blowing a few shrivelled leaves from one side of the cave to the other. Suddenly, King jumped up, his eyes glowing. "My mother told me about clans, by the lake! We should join one!" he purred in excitement. Pepper nodded her head, "that might just work!"

Pepper and King sat down in their cave, King drawing a plan with his claws. "When Snow comes with our food, we will attack her and I will carry you over the wall. After that, we just have to pass through the street, then we will reach the forest of the clans!" Explained King, his tail swishing. Suddenly they heard a call from Snow. "Quick!" hissed King as he cleaned the ground with his tail. All the plans were gone, it was time to put them into action. The padded out of the cave and leapt at Snow, clawing her legs until she fell to the ground. She tried to scream but Pepper put her tail in her mouth. She bit Pepper's tail, but she didn't have time to react. Suddenly Pepper was in King's jaws and as he leapt powerfully over the wall, sprinting them to the streets. They kept running until they could see the forest in the distance.

"We made it!" panted King as they reached the forest. "Freedom." Laughed Pepper, not believing the scents filling her nose. The grass under her paws was soft. After a few more steps, they found a small river. Pepper put her paws in and squealed. "Its… cold!" she laughed, shaking her paws. She stepped back in and let the water calm her bleeding feet. "Hold up prisoners." Sneered a voice from behind them. Pepper swung around, terrified. She recognized the brown muscular handsome tom at once. "Jay?"


End file.
